Ollie Pope Strengthens Claim to England's No 3 Spot with Strong 90 Against Lions
It is tough to determine how significant of the English team's practice fixture will be remotely important when their Ashes battle begins a short distance away at the Perth venue on the coming Friday – no distance in geography or duration but ages away in importance and atmosphere – but if it achieved nothing more than boosting Ollie Pope's assurance, that on its own has rendered the exercise beneficial.
The English side's No 3 – that much is certainly totally certain – followed his first-innings ton by adding another 90 in the follow-up innings, and what was remarkable was not merely the number of runs but the manner in which they were scored. Periodically the young batsman seemed imperious, hitting a twelve boundaries and a pair of sixes, hitting the ball beautifully but with aggressive determination.
It was only a friendly against a England Lions side that employed fully 11 pitchers during a contest held in front of a small group of people in a public park, but it was nevertheless hugely impressive. For the record, England, set a target of 202 following the Lions declared their second innings on 251 for six, succeeded by a margin of five wickets once Jamie Smith hurried the team over the conclusion with a stream of fours and sixes.
Crawley and Duckett, the two other significant first-innings' successes, both fell short in the second innings, while Root added further runs – 31 on this instance – but was far from more convincing, before being puzzled and duly dismissed by Jacks. Harry Brook suffered an similar end a little later.
Bashir – who finished the fixture having bowled 12 overs for either team – will have found some of the batting he faced pretty aggressive. His initial six deliveries versus the Lions cost 56, with McKinney feasting to pitching that if not exactly poor was surely not overly dangerous.
After the sixth spell of those overs, England's three other pitchers had allowed almost precisely the equivalent amount of runs – 57 – from 15, though Bashir became a little less giving in time, conceding 27 from his final six. He took one dismissal, making a clever, low grab, diving to his right, to finish Jacob Bethell's innings for 70, from 80 balls.
Jacob Bethell, redeeming managing merely three runs in the initial innings, was one of three half-centurions in the Lions team's top four. McKinney's scores from opener were steadier than those of their No 3: he notched 66 in their first innings and improved by two in their follow-up, using 61 deliveries over his half-century, with five and a couple maximums, the pair against Bashir's pitching. Jacob Bethell got to 68 prior to a mishit to Ben Stokes at cover, who took a stooping grab at ankle height.
Cox showed like consistency, and followed his initial innings' 53 with another 57, at just over a run per delivery. He played several remarkably beautiful hits during his innings, featuring a straight drive and a hook from consecutive Brydon Carse deliveries to reach his 50 runs.
After missing the initial day of this match with a stomach upset and made merely the smallest of efforts to the second day, Brydon Carse pitched superbly when eventually given the shot, with Ben McKinney and Cox part of his three dismissals.
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